Chuck Berry: ‘The Father Of Rock N’ Roll’, Dead At 90

Chuck Berry, the beloved "Father of rock n' roll" died on Saturday (March 18th) at the age of 90. Vintage Vinyl News reported St. Charles, Missouri police said "they responded to a call on Buckner Road in St. Louis around 12:40 PM where they found an unresponsive man (who was Berry). They attempted to revive him but he was declared dead at 1:26 PM." No cause of death has been announced. He is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Themetta, and their four children, Darlin Ingrid Berry-Clay, Aloha Berry, Charles Berry Jr., and Melody Exes Berry-Eskridge.

Over the weekend, countless tributes hit the Internet from rock's upper echelon showing their love and heaping praise on Berry, who along with the "Mt. Rushmore" of rock — Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Everly Brothers — created the form that all popular music followed from the mid-1950's through today. Bob Dylan famously called Chuck Berry the Shakespeare of rock n' roll." Rockers across the globe were dedicating songs to Berry's life and work — including Bon Jovi and Gene Simmons, at their respective shows.

Berry, who pioneered the rock genre with his unique storytelling and clever use of poetics, will undoubtedly be remembered for his signature two-note, guitar-bending lick, variations of which opened up his classic '50s hits "Johnny B. Goode," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Little Queenie," "Carol," and many more. Berry's music bridged the gap between rockabilly and blues on songs like "Maybellene," and broke the color barrier on classics such as "You Never Can Tell" and "School Days," which had more to do with the problems of white American teens than those of segregated blacks living in the South.

In later years, he was renowned for putting very little care into his live act over the years, often driving from gig to gig in his Cadillac, with his signature Gibson 335 guitar — and a handgun to ensure he received his brown paper bag cash payment. Berry infuriated both audiences and the pickup bands that were employed to back him at various concerts for the complete lack of rehearsal, a pre-arranged setlist — or even the key that each song would be played it.

Chuck Berry was born on October 18th, 26th, 1926 to a middle class family in St. Louis. Despite his upbringing, he was jailed at the age of 14 for armed robbery and was sentenced to a juvenile reformatory from 1944 to 1947. In 1955, he signed with the soon-to-be legendary Chess Records in Chicago.

Last October 18th — on his 90th birthday — Chuck Berry blew more than few minds by announcing his first album in 37 years. Berry's upcoming release, titled, Chuck, will mark his first new studio set since 1979's Rock It. Berry, who wrote and produced the new collection due out later this year, tipped his signature captain's hat to his wife Themetta, by declaring in the press release: "This record is dedicated to my beloved Toddy. My darlin' I’m growing old! I’ve worked on this record for a long time. Now I can hang up my shoes!"

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that on the album, Berry was backed by his regular local live backing band, featuring son Charles Berry Jr. on guitar, daughter Ingrid Berry on vocals and harmonica, along with Keith Robinson on drums, Robert Lohr on piano, and Jimmy Marsala on bass. Marsala recalled that the new album has literally been in the planning stages since the release of Rock It — way back in 1979: "He was constantly working on stuff all the time, on airplanes, writing lyrics down, always coming up with new ideas — Let's try this, lets try that.' He still has a lot to say."

When we last caught up to Chuck Berry we asked him what fans can expect from his next studio album: ["There will be two of. . . at least two, maybe three of the hits as known, as well-known as 'Johnny B. Goode' and 'Maybellene,' from which I'm sure that'll be what it is. The rest will be new songs that I have not done before."] SOUNDCUE (:13 OC: . . . not done before)

Starting in 1996, Chuck Berry performed an ongoing club residency at the Duck Room at St. Louis' Blueberry Hill, and logged in more than 200 shows at the venue. His final show was during his 88th birthday celebration.

Along with the cheering crowds, legal issues plagued Chuck Berry throughout his life. In December 1959, following accusations that he had slept with a 14-year-old Apache waitress and violated the Mann Act by transporting her across state lines, Berry was convicted, slapped with a $5,000 fine, and sentenced to five years in prison. Berry appealed the decision declaring that the judge's alleged prejudiced comments towards Berry had unfairly swayed the jury. Berry was granted a second trial, lost, and went on to serve 18 months in prison.
In 1979, Berry served four months in prison after pleading guilty of tax evasion and was slapped with a further 1,000 hours of mandatory community service performing benefit concerts following his release.
In 1990 Berry was sued by several women, who claimed that he had installed secret video cameras in the ladies room of his Wentzville, Missouri restaurant, The Southern Air. According to reports, videotapes confiscated in Berry's home showed numerous women using the facilities — including, allegedly, one minor. The raid also included marijuana, hashish and three weapons. Riverfronttimes.com posted "Berry was eventually charged with possession of marijuana and three counts of child abuse. Ultimately, the child abuse charges were dropped and Berry agreed to two years unsupervised probation for the misdemeanor marijuana charge. He also agreed to pay $5,000 to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program." All told Berry was said to have paid out over $1 million in legal fees for the entire suit.
In 2000, original pianist Johnnie Johnson sued Berry claiming co-ownership of a number of songs from the Berry catalogue, but the judge threw the case out citing the statute of limitations.
The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards — perhaps Berry's most ardent admirer — continues to inject Berry's style and energy into the band's work even through today: ["Chuck Berry — I always felt that I owed the man, y'know, an incredible debt for his music and for the fact of turning me on (laughs). And at the same time, I just thought Chuck was the epitome of what archetypal rock n' roll should be. Great songs. Incredible beat. Lyrics — they always got a little joke, or two, in them. Nothing's too serious. And also, that magical, sort of roll. I guess I gotta say that beautiful bounce and fly on the beat that was very jazz-like. It seemed to be a continuity between. . . I mean other people sort of thinking rock n' roll was new, I knew it was (as) old as the hills."] SOUNDCUE (:45 OC: . . . as the hills)
George Thorogood has been a lifelong fan of Chuck Berry's and says that as far as rock artists go, Berry is a complete and unbeatable package: ["With Chuck Berry, you've got the all-time four-star player. He's a great performer, a great writer, a great singer, and a great player. Not many people have that, all four things combined. Some can sing great, but they don't write. Some write, but they don't sing. Chuck Berry was the first of that. There's only a handful of them. John Fogerty — one, the Beatles. . . There's very few that have all that covered. And I'm talking about great writing and great performing. I'm not just talking about, 'Oh, he plays guitar pretty good or he writes pretty good.' (He's) up there on the top with all four things. . . Arguably, probably the greatest rock n' roll star ever."] SOUNDCUE (:27 OC: . . . roll star ever)
Chuck Berry paved the way for the major songwriters of the '60s, such as Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Brian Wilson and Mike Love, and Pete Townshend, who were inspired by Berry and his peers Little Richard and Buddy Holly to compose and perform their own material. Chuck Berry's resurgence in the mid-'60s was due largely to his influence on the British invasion.
Although most musicians took their lead from Chuck Berry's guitar work, like many, Mike Love credits Berry's unique and poetic use of the English language as the template for his great works with the Beach Boys: ["Chuck Berry is my inspiration. Especially on songs like 'Fun, Fun, Fun' and 'Surfin' U.S.A.'"] SOUNDCUE (:05 OC: . . . and surfin' U.S.A.)
Devoted fan John Mellencamp told us that he's still amazed at the way Chuck Berry's music consistently was able to blur the racial lines in the late 1950's: ["I think the most interesting guy to ever talk about this topic was Chuck Berry. And how calculated he was about his songwriting and his approach to rock n' roll. He used to, like, work in people's yards, and he would hear the music that they would be listening to — and how could a black man bring black music to white people? So he kinda disguised it a little bit and made 'em think that, y'know, it was white music — but in reality, it was black. I thought it was real interesting the way he explained what he perceived he had done for rock n' roll. Y'know, he sang black songs about white people, almost."] SOUNDCUE (:26 OC: . . . white people almost)
Dave Davies of the Kinks told us that the band probably never would've existed if not for Berry's legendary '50s tunes: ["Ray (Davies) and I were big fans of Chuck Berry, and we used to get together and play Chuck Berry riffs. Maybe we would never have formed the band without people like Chuck Berry."] SOUNDCUE (:10 OC: . . . like Chuck Berry)
Shorty before his death his 2005 death, we asked Chuck Berry's longtime pianist Johnnie Johnson what his favorite Chuck Berry song was: ["'Brown Eyed Handsome Man.' I liked 'Memphis,' and 'Wee Wee Hours' was really my first one — on the other side of 'Maybellene' — and that was my first one 'cause that's what I was used to playing, was the blues, and this w as a blues tune. At that time they had A and B-sides, and I thought 'Wee Wee Hours' would have been the A-side and 'Maybellene' be the B-side, but it was just the opposite (laughs)."] SOUNDCUE (:24 OC: . . . just the opposite (laughs))
Although the Beatles only released two Berry covers on their official albums ("Roll Over Beethoven" and "Rock And Roll Music"), their recent collections — 1994's Live At The BBC and 2013's On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2 — included seven additional Berry covers that were often performed in their nightclub repertoire: "Too Much Monkey Business," "I Got To Find My Baby," "Carol," "Johnny B. Goode," "I'm Talking About You," "Memphis, Tennessee," and "Sweet Little Sixteen." The group's "I Saw Her Standing There" actually borrowed the bassline from Berry's "Little Queenie."
The Beatles opened their first U.S. concert on February 11th, 1964 at the Washington Coliseum with "Roll Over Beethoven" as a salute to Berry.
John Lennon covered Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" on his 1975 Rock N' Roll collection, and McCartney paid tribute to Berry by recording "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" on his 1999 album, Run Devil Run.
The Rolling Stones' debut single was a cover of Berry's "Come On." They went on to cover eight other Berry classics, including "Carol," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "You Can't Catch Me," "Bye Bye Johnny," "Little Queenie," "Talkin' About You," "Around And Around," and "Let It Rock."
In 2006, Berry's 1987 concert documentary, Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, was released in both two- and four-DVD expanded editions. The movie chronicled the concert and rehearsals around Berry's 60th birthday concert in St. Louis, and featured performances by the show's bandleader Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Julian Lennon, Robert Cray, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, and others.
Bassist Garry Tallent remains a hardcore admirer of Chuck Berry. Tallent recalled to us the thrilling — but difficult — 1995 teamup between the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen, and their collective idol — Chuck Berry: ["He doesn’t tell you anything. But, as he says, 'If you can’t play Chuck Berry songs, then you don’t belong on the stage anyway.' You hear all the horror stories about Jerry Lee (Lewis) and Chuck Berry. . . I guess they can be. . . pretty gruff sometimes. But, I’ll tell you, I love ’em both, and they’ve always just been wonderful to me and to the band."] SOUNDCUE (:21 OC: . . . to the band)
John Lennon often called Chuck Berry rock's first "poet." Berry told us that his secret was always to keep his lyrics simple and make them rhyme: ["'Mary had a little lamb, her fleece was white as snow, a da-da-da-da-da-da-da-o.' That's the way it rhymes. Rhyming to me is creating the vowels on the end of each line that is supposed to be, so it's a mathematical thing, y'know? Two and two makes four, and as you go on down the line, all those numbers are equal not odds. Isn't that something? Isn't that a way to explain something? Anyway, I liked it, so I kept it up."] SOUNDCUE (:27 OC: . . . I kept it up)
Chuck Berry admitted to us that while looking back on his career, he ultimately has very few complaints: ["The good life outweighs. . . now, I don't say bad, I say the indifferent lives that I've had. It just makes me happy to know that nobody's gonna live a perfect life — nobody ever has. So I'm thankful that I've come this far, this long, this good."] SOUNDCUE (:13 OC: . . . long this good)
Out now is what will probably be the most exhaustive and definitive Chuck Berry collection ever assembled, the mammoth Rock And Roll Music – Any Old Way You Choose It – The Complete Studio Recordings. . . Plus! The set, which boasts a whopping 396 tracks spread over 16-CDs, features the nearly every studio recording Berry ever laid down. The label Bear Family Records, which specializes in sets of this magnitude, has culled all the recordings Berry recorded and/or produced on the Chess, Mercury, and Atco imprints.
Highlights on the collection include such rarities as the demos for “Rock And Roll Music” and “Sweet Little Sixteen,” a clutch of live tracks recorded between 1956 and 1972, along with "every surviving alternate take and even a rare pre-Chess single with Joe Alexander that was recorded in 1954."

FRIENDS AND FANS REMEMBER CHUCK BERRY

Former President Barack Obama: "Chuck Berry rolled over everyone who came before him — and turned up everyone who came after. We'll miss you, Chuck. Be good."

Mick Jagger: "I am so sad to hear of Chuck Berry’s passing. I want to thank him for all the inspirational music he gave to us. He lit up our teenage years, and blew life into our dreams of being musicians and performers. His lyrics shone above others and threw a strange light on the American dream. Chuck, you were amazing, and your music is engraved inside us forever."

Keith Richards: “One of my big lights has gone out!"

Ron Wood: "So sad with the passing of Chuck Berry comes the end of an era. He was one of the best and my inspiration, a true character indeed."

Paul Simon: "I would say no songwriter influenced my generation to a greater degree than Chuck Berry. . . For me, it was like a magical place to hear about this description of rural America. It's like Zora Neale Hurston territory — an amazing bit of writing for the '50s and something that left a powerful impression with me, who was just beginning to play guitar."

Ringo Starr: "Just let me hear some of that rock 'n' roll music any old way you use it I am playing I'm talking about you. God bless. . . R I P. And peace and love Chuck Berry Mr. rock 'n' roll music."

Julian Lennon: "So sad to hear of Chuck Berry's passing. . . The Father of Rock & Roll. I was fortunate enough to have met him a few times, and to hang/play with him on stage & behind the scenes, during the filming of Hail! Hail! Rock & Roll. An unforgettable experience. . . And as Dad once said 'If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.' Thank You for All that You gave us."

Sean Lennon: "Chuck Berry R.I.P."

Rod Stewart: "It started with Chuck Berry. The 1st album I ever bought was Chuck’s ‘Live at the Tivoli’ and I was never the same. He was more than a legend, he was a founding father. You can hear his influence in every rock & roll band from my generation on. I’ve been performing his ‘Sweet Little Rock & Roller’ since 1974 and tonight, when my band and I perform it at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum, it’ll be for Chuck Berry — your sound lives on."

Bruce Springsteen: Chuck Berry was rock's greatest practitioner, guitarist, and the greatest pure rock 'n' roll writer who ever lived. This is a tremendous loss of a giant for the ages."

Steven Van Zandt: "Chuck Berry was the King of Rock and Roll. Period. Richard brought the Passion, Elvis the Heartbreak, Bo the Beat, Jerry Lee the Abandon, Buddy let the Everyman in, Chuck brought the Storytelling. The words that Bob Dylan would evolve into an Artform. He led the teenage takeover of Pop Music that the Beatles and Stones would complete. He invented Rock guitar and made it look like fun. He gave the previously ignored age group between adolescence and adulthood an identity, a mythology, a chance to see themselves. He gave them Respect. And those teenagers would return that respect to Rock and Roll for the next 60 years and counting."

Elton John: "The greatest rock & roll songwriter of all time. Thanks for all those wonderful records that will define rock music forever."

John Fogerty: "Great songwriter, great guitar player, great singer. One of a kind. Thank you Mr. Chuck Berry for teaching me how it's done. Hail, hail Rock and Roll! RIP my friend."

Bob Seger: "A true pioneer, a brilliant writer, great guitar player, one of the Rock n Roll creators. How many people have played his riffs? His Johnny B Goode is on the Voyager spacecrafts heading for the stars — how many rockers can say that! Chuck had tremendous influence on my work and could not have been a nicer guy. One of the all time greats. RIP #ChuckBerry."

Brian Wilson: "I am so sad to hear about Chuck Berry passing – a big inspiration! He will be missed by everyone who loves Rock 'n Roll. (To RollingStone.com). I was shocked by (his death) and it kind of scared me. I don't know why it scared me, but it was just a shock. (It's) pretty rough. He taught me how to write rock & roll melodies, the way the vocals should go. His lyrics were very, very good. They were unusually good lyrics. I liked 'Johnny B. Goode,' all about a young, little kid who played his guitar. He inspired me as a lyricist. He made me want to write about cars and surfing. I liked the lyrics to 'Roll Over Beethoven.' It felt like what he was doing was new."

Mike Love: "No one was more inspirational or influential to us when we started The Beach Boys as Chuck Berry and he was an enormous influence on our songs. We weren't the only ones who were similarly effected, as the world of Rock & Roll was forever shaped by the incredibly creative 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man.' As much an icon in the sports world as Muhammad Ali, Chuck Berry was one to the world of music. We once shared a plane ride and I remember fondly his telling me he 'liked what you did with Sixteen' that's because 'Sweet Little Sixteen' was absolutely the inspiration for 'Surfin' U.S.A.' — one of our biggest hits! 'Fun, Fun, Fun' and 'Be True To Your School' were also born as a result of my 'going to school' at Chuck Berry University. We were all given such a wonderful gift from this creative genius, and though we mourn his passing we will celebrate his lasting legacy and the brilliance embodied in his 'Rock & Roll Music.' Peace And Love Chuck Berry – you will always be the leader of a big ole band. We love you Chuck!"

Dave Davies: "Today's the day music died — probably the most important musical influence in my life. . . Chuck Berry was a true rock n Roll poet before Dylan he was incredible lyrical influence on so many musicians. It wasn't just his great style and tone and personality. He had everything. He was cheeky and funny – he was an entertainer as well as a rock guitar player . I met him at the airport once briefly in the early-'80s. He seemed really grumpy but I was in awe of him anyway. My favorite cover we did of his were 'Beautiful Delilah' and 'Too Much Monkey Business.' The lyrics are amazing."

Dion DiMucci: "Chuck Berry and I became friends back in the 50s at the Brooklyn Fox Theater, I always admired Chuck he was our elder statesman — loved his music and style — We had great respect for each other. Chuck Berry was rock's greatest Innovator guitarist, and the greatest pure rock 'n' roll writer who ever lived. I found it easy to be around him, to enjoy his company, I will miss him big time, Great Guy. . . Artists and fans around the world loved Chuck Berry. He was a Great Innovator to ALL who love Rock 'n' Roll. My Dear Friend, May you know eternal rest."

Carole King: "RIP Chuck Berry."

Joan Jett: Hail hail rock n roll. I’m glad I had a chance to know, love, and work w Chuck Berry during my life and career. Original Pure Rock n Roll."

George Thorogood & The Destroyers: "We are shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of the great Chuck Berry. Chuck was the Father of Rock-N-Roll and a huge influence on us."

Peter Frampton: "He had a gtr style that influenced so many generations of players. Oh yes and how to write a great RnR song. Rest in peace dear Chuck."

Brian May: "I was shocked to hear he’d gone. And then you get that haunting feeling that you didn’t think of him for ages, even though he was a massive influence on your life. I never met Chuck Berry, sadly, but in a way maybe it’s better I remained the fan at a distance that I always was, from the very beginnings of my own love affair with the guitar."

John Densmore: "All of us rockers stand on the shoulders of the man who invented the 'duck walk.' Hail, hail Chuck Berry."

Former President Bill Clinton: "Hillary and I loved Chuck Berry for as long as we can remember. The man was inseparable from his music — both were utterly original and distinctly American. He made our feet move and our hearts more joyful. And along the way he changed our country and the history of popular music. Chuck played at both my inaugurations and at the White House for my 25th Georgetown reunion, and he never slowed down, which is why his legend grew every time he stepped on stage. His life was a treasure and a triumph, and he’ll never be forgotten. Our hearts go out to his family and his countless friends and fans."

AC/DC: "Chuck Berry IS rock and roll! It's sad day for rock and roll, but his music will live on forever. Hail, hail rock and roll!!!!!"

Rush: "Rest in Peace Chuck Berry. . . one of the original rock and roll guitar legends. . . thank you for the music!"

Paul Stanley: "RIP CHUCK BERRY. Truly a cornerstone of all that is, was and will be Rock and Roll. An icon like few others."

Gene Simmons: "My profound respect and admiration to one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, who sadly passed today — the late, great CHUCK BERRY."

Ace Frehley: "My sympathy goes out to Chuck's family. . . I was lucky enough to jam with him in '69 and met him a couple of times after that. . . God Bless Chuck Berry! He was one of the Kings of Rock&Roll!!!"

Sammy Hagar: Rock n roll would not be what it is today without the influence of Chuck Berry! Thank God for his Rock and roll presence on this planet!"

The Doobie Brothers: "Chuck Berry was the father of Rock n' Roll. He was an influence to us all. He will forever be remembered. #RIPChuckBerry"

John Oates: "Chuck Berry was my hero…I wanted to play guitar like him and wanted to write songs like him even though I knew nothing I could come up with would ever come close to his originality, crisp, perfectly crafted lyrics and without knowing I even found myself a great piano player in Daryl Hall just like Chuck found Johnnie Johnson…it wasn't planned but it happened. Every rock and roller in the world owes a debt to Chuck Berry. His songs will never die. . . 'Hail Hail Rock and Roll.'"

Warren Haynes: "RIP Chuck Berry – What can I say? His influence is among the greatest in musical history which is noted worldwide. Sadly enough, more elsewhere than in his own back yard of America. Chuck Berry is one of the architects of one of the greatest gifts to mankind – Rock and Roll. As a guitar player Chuck brought us something 'new and different' that is now so much a part of the fabric of Rock and Roll that we often forget where it came from and how original it was at the time. I remember Dickey Betts telling me, a long time ago, how people my age and younger didn't really get the impact of Chuck Berry and that, if you were a guitar player from his generation, Chuck Berry had the same impact on you that Jimi Hendrix had on guitar players of my generation. To quote Bob Seger, 'All Chuck’s children are out there playing his licks.'"

Neil Giraldo: "Chuck Berry . . . the 6 string inspirational songwriter father king of Rock N Roll. . . has left us and taken the journey home. . . I can't imagine what RnR would have been without Chuck Berry. R.I.P. . . peace."

Nikki Sixx: "RIP Chuck Berry. Without him Rock n Roll wouldn't be what it came to be."

Dave Mustaine: "One of the first solos I ever learned was Chuck Berry's. I'm truly saddened this morning, as we've lost another legend. RIP Mr. Berry!"

The Moody Blues' John Lodge: "To us musicians who played on stage with #chuckberry to stand in his shadow was an honour and privilege."

Tommy James: "I knew Chuck Berry and worked with him several times over the years. He was my first guitar teacher. Like so many other young players, I learned off his records. We always had great talks about music, and I told him how much his music meant to me. I'll never forget when we worked together with Bob Hope at the tri-centennial celebration of Rhode Island. We had a lot of laughs together. Chuck was a friend of mine and I'll really, really miss him. There will never be another like him."

Neil Sedaka: "We lost maybe the greatest Rock 'N' Roller of all time. His marriage of words and music is unparalleled. His records will remain timeless. Thank you Chuck Berry for the endless joy you've given us all."

William "Bootsy" Collins: "Dang another one not funkin' with us. Our Rock & Roll legend Mr. Chuck Berry has changed frequencies today. Join us while we Send up love vibes & prayers to his family & friends. Thanks for all the gifts u shared with us. R.I.P. now, good brother"

Leo Sayer: "Thanks Chuck! RIP – and don't ever worry, you were the King Of Rock 'N Roll and always will be. . ."

Living Colour's Vernon Reed: Guitar playing. Songwriting. Stagecraft. ALL OF IT. Chuck Berry. To have stood on stage with Mr. Chuck Berry at the Apollo Theater is one of the great honors of my life. He gave us EVERYTHING."

The Guess Who's Burton Cummings: "Truly one of the inventor/fathers of rock and roll. Chuck's lyrics were decades before rap and hip hop, but he created countless rhythms that artists would continue using and still do to this day. Chuck influenced just about everybody. When he first burst on to the scene, the world had never heard anything like him. His records will live forever. Chuck Berry was TRULY one of a kind."

Keith Urban: "RIP Chuck Berry !!!! Thank you for the poetry, the passion and the potency! GO JOHNNY GO."

The Jacksons: "Chuck Berry merged blues & swing into the phenomenon of early rock’n’roll. In music, he cast one of the longest shadows. 'Thank You Chuck.'"

Huey Lewis: "Chuck Berry. Maybe the most important figure in all of rock and roll. His music and his influence will last forever."

Marie Osmond: "It was an honor to know you, Chuck Berry! A legend, a pioneer, and one of the greatest rock & rollers of all time."

Billy Bragg: "Whenever I'm asked to put together a top ten of political songs, this number ('Roll Over Beethoven') is always first on the list. A black man with an electric guitar loudly proclaiming to white America that the music that will dominate youth culture in the coming decades will be African-American. Who was making such revolutionary pop music in 1956? RIP Chuck."

Questlove: "Thou Shall Have No Other Rock Gods Before Him"

The St. Louis Cardinals baseball team: "You’ll always be the Father of Rock & Roll to us, Chuck. Our thoughts are with the Berry family."